The elbow has been bothering Nioka ever since when he used to play for the Yomiuri Giants. This season, the elbow pains got worse and Nioka needed shots in order to play.

In addition to the elbow pain, Nioka had a number of other ailments this season, including calf and hamstring problems in both legs, a sprained left middle finger, and a contusion on his right ring finger. But he still managed to play in 103 games and provide the Fighters with some offense (26 R, 7 HR, 47 RBI, .672 OPS).